Chapter 1: Run

The room smelled of cigarette smoke, cheap alcohol and desperation. It was a small, windowless room with peeling wallpaper and a single fluorescent light hanging from the ceiling. A metal table sat in the middle, surrounded by four chairs.

Four men occupied the room.
One of them sat calmly, his legs crossed.

Arata Yoshito.

His appearance was almost painfully ordinary. His suit was perfectly pressed, his tie neatly arranged and his hair was combed back without a single strand out of place. He looked less like someone involved in a dirty debt collection and more like a businessman waiting for an important meeting. That was precisely why people trusted him.

Across from him sat Mr. Wang.
His clothes were wrinkled, his face was pale and sweat covered his forehead despite the room being cold.

Beside him were two men who looked considerably more comfortable in places like this.
One was broad-shouldered with a shaved head and a cigarette hanging from his mouth. The other was younger, with a scar running from the corner of his eyebrow down toward his cheek. He was tapping his fingers impatiently against the table. Neither looked particularly educated.

The younger man tapped his fingers against the table.
”C’mon, Mr. Wang. You know why we’re here.”

Wang swallowed.
”I-I told you, I don’t have it.”

The bald man laughed.
”You don’t have it?”
He leaned forward, placing both hands on the table.
”Is that a Joke?.. Not funny. You had it when you borrowed it.”

“I didn’t know the interest would become this high!”

“Then you should’ve read the damn contract.”

“I did.”
Wang’s voice cracked.
”I did, but-”

“But-but what?”
The younger man took the cigarette from his mouth and flicked the ash onto the floor.
”You signed it, didn’t you?”

Wang’s eyes moved toward Arata.
”You…”
His trembling finger pointed at him.
”You told me this was going to be fine.”

Arata didn’t answer immediately. He simply looked at Wang.
Calmly.
Almost bored.
”You were told the terms.”

“No!”
Wang suddenly stood.

The two men immediately grabbed his shoulders.
”You told me you could get me the loan!” Wang shouted. “You said it was an opportunity!! You said I could use the money to save my business..”

Arata sighed.
”You misunderstood.”

“Misunderstood?”

Wang’s face twisted.
”You brought me to these people…”

“That is correct.”

“You knew what they were going to do!”

“I only knew what the contract stated.”

“You’re the reason I’m here!!!”

For the first time, Arata’s expression changed.
Not anger. Not guilt. Just mild irritation.
”Mr. Wang.”
His voice remained calm.
”You are here because you borrowed money that you couldn’t repay.”

“I had no choice.”

“Incorrect… There is always a choice.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit!!”
Wang struggled against the two men holding him.
”I trusted you..”

The bald man shoved him back into the chair.
”Sit down, old man."
"Get your hands off me!!"
"Stop acting stupid.”

Wang’s breathing became heavier. His eyes were red.
”Please… I beg you. I have children.”

Arata’s eyes narrowed slightly.
”That’s unfortunate.”

Wang looked up at him. Silence.

For a moment, Arata simply stared at him. Then he calmly removed Wang’s hand from his leg.
”You should have thought about your children before signing the contract.”

Wang froze. His expression collapsed.
”You…”
His voice was barely audible.
”You bastard.”

Arata stood. He adjusted his suit jacket and glanced at his watch.
”Well.. I have another appointment.”

“You can’t just leave.”
Wang lunged forward.

The two men immediately grabbed him.
”Let me go!!”

He kicked violently, knocking the chair sideways.
”I said let me go!!!"
"Oy… Calm the hell down."
"Get away from me!!”

The younger man grabbed Wang by the collar and forced him back.
”Listen, old man. We ain’t here to hear your life story.”

The bald man cracked his knuckles.
”We’re here for the money."
"I don’t have it!"
"Then find it."
"I can’t…"
"Not our problem.”

Wang desperately looked toward the door. Then toward Arata.
”You can’t do this to me..”

Arata stopped with his hand on the doorknob. He glanced back.
”You’re mistaken.”
Wang stared at him. Arata gave him a faint, polite smile.
”I didn’t do anything.”

Then he opened the door. Behind him, Wang’s voice echoed through the room.
”You son of a B-”

The door closed. The room became quiet for a moment. The younger man looked at Wang. Then at his partner.
”Well…”
He slowly smiled.
”Guess it’s just us now.”
Wang’s face went pale.

Later, Arata was sitting in a small café across town.
The atmosphere was different here. Soft music played in the background and the smell of coffee filled the air. Couples talked quietly at nearby tables. He sat by the window, calmly stirring his coffee. Across from him sat a woman. His girlfriend.

Mei Moriyama.

Neither of them had touched their drinks for several minutes. Arata already knew what was coming. He could see it in the way she avoided his eyes, the way her fingers kept moving around the edge of her cup and the long pauses between every sentence. She had asked to meet him because she wanted to talk. Arata had already figured out what that talk was going to be.

A breakup.
”So…” she finally said.

Arata looked at her.
”Are you going to say it?”

She gave him a small, tired smile.
”You really do know me too well."
"I’ve known you for three years."
"That’s true.”
She looked down at her coffee.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then she took a slow breath.
”I think we should break up.”

Arata remained quiet. There was no anger on his face. No shock. He had expected it.
”Okay.”

She looked up.
”That’s it?"
"What else should I say?"
"I don’t know.”

She smiled faintly.
”I thought you’d be angry."
"Would that change your mind?"
"No."
"Then there’s no point.”

She stared at him for a moment.
”You haven’t even asked why.”

Arata leaned back in his chair.
”There’s someone else.”

Her eyes widened slightly.
”You knew?"
"Guessed.”

She looked away.
”He’s someone I met recently. I didn’t plan for it to happen."
"I see."
"I know how it sounds."
"Sounds honest to me.”

She gave a quiet laugh.
”You always make things sound so simple."
"Most things are simple."
"Not this.”

She looked at him again.
”You’ve been good to me, Arata. You really have. That’s why this is difficult.”

Arata said nothing. She continued.
”I don’t want to lie to you or keep pretending everything is fine when it isn’t."
"I understand."
"You’re not going to ask me to stay?"
"No.”
Arata looked at her for a moment.
”Because you already made your decision.”

Her expression softened.
”That’s probably what I like about you.”
She paused.
”And what I don’t like.”

Arata gave a faint smile.
”Heard that before.”
She laughed quietly.

For a few seconds, the tension between them seemed to disappear. Then the silence returned. Arata looked at the table. His girlfriend had already made her decision. That wasn’t what bothered him. His thoughts had moved somewhere else. The dinner reservations he had already paid for this week. The gifts he’d bought recently. The money he had lent her. If she left now without settling everything… It would cost him more than he expected. He stared at her untouched coffee.

What a waste.

She noticed his expression.
”You’re thinking about money, aren’t you?”

Arata looked up. She smiled sadly.
”You always do that when you’re calculating something."
"No, I’m just thinking."
"Like how much this breakup is going to cost you?”
Arata didn’t answer. She sighed.
”You really are unbelievable."
"I know.”
She reached into her bag and pulled out her wallet. Arata raised an eyebrow.
”What are you doing?"
"I already paid for my coffee.”
She placed some money on the table. Then she looked at him.
”Consider it my farewell treat.”

Arata glanced at the money.
”You didn’t have to."
"I know.”
She stood up and picked up her bag.
”But I wanted to.”

Arata remained seated. She looked at him for a long moment.
”Take care of yourself, okay?"
"You too.”

She hesitated. Then she smiled.
”Goodbye, Arata."
"Goodbye.”

She turned and walked toward the door. Arata watched her leave. He didn’t chase after her. He didn’t ask her to come back. There was no dramatic argument. No tears. Just two adults accepting that their relationship had reached its end. The café door closed behind her. Arata looked down at the money she had left on the table.

“At least she paid her share.”

Arata slipped the money into his wallet and stood up. He left the café a few minutes later.
The evening air was cool. Cars passed along the road, their headlights flashing across the pavement. People walked past him, some alone, some talking with friends, some holding hands with their partners.

Arata walked without any particular destination in mind. His hands were in his pockets.
Another client tomorrow.

He had a meeting scheduled in the morning. A new loan application. Probably another small business owner desperate for money. He already knew how the conversation would go. Listen to their problems. Make them feel understood. Give them hope. Then show them the contract. People didn’t really borrow money because they understood the risks. They borrowed because they believed they could escape their problems with it. Arata understood that better than anyone. He wasn’t forcing anyone to sign.
That was the part he always told himself. They had a choice.
He simply made one choice look better than the other.
Is that really so different from what everyone else does?

Banks sold hope.
Companies sold desire.
Politicians sold promises.
People sold themselves every day just to get through another day. Everyone wanted something.
Money.
Love.
Security.
Recognition.
Happiness.
And if you understood what someone wanted, you could sell almost anything to them. Arata walked past a convenience store and glanced at his reflection in the glass.
Neat suit. Clean shoes.Calm expression. He looked like an ordinary businessman. Not a scammer or criminal. Just another man going home after work. He almost laughed. Maybe that was the funniest part. People didn’t trust good people. They trusted people who looked safe. And Arata had learned how to look safe. He continued walking. The breakup didn’t bother him as much as he thought it should. Maybe he had already accepted it before she said the words. People came and went.
Relationships ended.
Jobs changed.
Money disappeared.
That was life. Nothing belonged to you forever.
Not your money.
Not your job.
Not even the people you loved. So why get angry when something eventually left?
Arata looked up at the evening sky. A few stars were barely visible between the city lights. He stopped for a moment. Then continued walking.
Maybe that’s what life really is.

You spend your whole life trying to hold onto things you were never meant to keep. And when they disappear, you call it loss. Arata smiled faintly.
”Sounds unnecessarily complicated.” He kept walking.

Then-
”You bastard!”
Arata heard a voice from behind him. He stopped. His eyes widened slightly. He knew that voice.
”Mr. Wang…?!”
Arata turned around. Wang was standing several meters behind him. His clothes were still wrinkled. His face was red, his breathing heavy. And in his hand was a knife. Arata stared at it for a moment.
Then at Wang. Then back at the knife. Wang suddenly charged toward him.
”You ruined my life!”

Arata’s expression changed.
”Seriously?”
What an idiot.
He could have attacked me when I was standing still. He could have stabbed me in the back before I even noticed him. Instead, he decided to announce his intentions by screaming and chasing me down the street with a knife. What exactly was he thinking?
Whatever, If this foolishness keeps me alive, then so be it.
He immediately turned and ran. He hadn’t expected this. Not even slightly. His shoes struck the pavement as he ran down the sidewalk. Behind him, Wang was shouting something, but Arata couldn’t make out all of it.
*Of course.* Arata gritted his teeth.
*Of course this can happen with this kind of job.* He had always understood that people could become irrational when their emotions became strong enough.
Fear.
Desperation.
Anger.
When those emotions took control, logic often became useless. That was exactly what had happened to Wang.
*If he would just stop and think for five seconds, he’d realize killing me isn’t going to solve anything.* Arata glanced over his shoulder. Wang was still chasing him. And surprisingly, he wasn’t slowing down.
Apparently, five seconds is too much to ask.

“Mr. Wang!” Arata shouted while running. “If you kill me, you’re going to prison!"
"SHUT UP!"
"That’s not a counterargument!”

Wang screamed something else that Arata couldn’t understand. Arata sighed.
*There’s no reasoning with him right now.* He turned forward again and ran faster. Ahead of him was an intersection. The pedestrian signal was already blinking. Arata looked at it. A few seconds. That was all he had before the light changed. He pushed himself forward.
”Move…”
His breathing became heavier. His legs were starting to hurt. He reached the edge of the road. The signal was still blinking.
*Almost there.* He stepped onto the crossing.

Then-
Something fell onto the road. Right in front of him. Arata stopped. His body reacted before his mind could. His feet froze. His eyes widened. The object lying in the middle of the crosswalk was a book. Not just any book. A novel. Arata stared at the cover. His expression slowly changed.
He knew it.
He knew those words.

“King of Kings…”
His voice came out almost as a whisper. Something about the title made his stomach tighten. It was familiar. Far too familiar. His mind couldn’t explain why. But his body already knew. His hand twitched slightly. His breathing stopped for a moment. It was the kind of reaction that happened before thought. Like seeing a face you hadn’t seen in years but somehow recognizing it immediately.
What the hell is this doing here?

Then he remembered.
Wang.
Arata’s eyes shifted. Wang was still behind him.

And at that exact moment—
A car came speeding through the intersection. The driver had almost no time to react. The headlights suddenly filled Arata’s vision. Everything slowed down.

Not literally.
His brain was simply processing everything with unnatural clarity. Under extreme stress, adrenaline could heighten attention and make individual moments feel stretched, making it feel as if time itself had slowed. The sound of the engine became strangely distant. The book remained motionless on the asphalt. A drop of sweat slowly moved down Arata’s cheek.

To Arata, however, it felt like the entire world had suddenly slowed down.
He didn’t think about his parents.
He didn’t think about his friends.
He didn’t even think about Mei. There was only one thought in his mind.
Wait.

His eyes moved toward the car. Then toward Wang. Then back toward the car.
*Who is going to kill me first?* The car?
Or Mr. Wang?